League of Legends' next champion revealed, is partial to sand

It's only a few weeks after the release of Gnar, and Riot are again announcing a new Champion for League of Legends. Azir is his name; or, more formally, the King Emperor of the Sands. They've run-down his play style in a detailed new profile .

"Azir is a mage who summons Shuriman soldiers to control the battlefield and basic attack for him. The soldier's piercing basic attacks furnish most of Azir's damage potential, making him an outlier amongst mages as a right-click-focused champion. Azir's spells, on the other hand, manipulate his and his soldiers' positions to keep him safe and establish dangerous no-go zones for his enemies."

As for how the hero utilises these soldiers, Riot explains that players don't appreciate minions that run off, and also that direct-controlled minions aren't a great fit for the game's control system. With this in mind, they created a system where soldier placement is of primary importance, and where soldiers only respond to Azir's right-click command. "This makes both Azir and his enemy understand that a conscious command was given to the soldier," Riot explains. "This also means that if Azir is stunned or running away, soldiers cease to be a threat. All of a sudden, Azir's opponent can comfortably aggress."

For more, head to Riot's announcement post. So far, the studio has not revealed the Champion's release date.

Phil leads PC Gamer's UK team. He was previously the editor of the magazine, and thinks you should definitely subscribe to it. He enjoys RPGs and immersive sims, and can often be found reviewing Hitman games. He's largely responsible for the Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.